


Burning Tenderness

by staymagical



Series: Keithtober 2019 [14]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bad Cooking, Burns, Keith is a terrible cook, Keithtober 2019, Klancetober 2019, Lance thinks it's adorable, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2020-12-21 01:14:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21066326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/staymagical/pseuds/staymagical
Summary: Keith is not a very good cook and he knows it. Doesn't stop him from trying to do something nice for his boyfriend.Lance raises an intrigued eyebrow as he surveys the chaos that their kitchen has become. “What are you doing?”Despite the evidence in plain sight all around them, Keith shrugs with a casual, “Nothing.”“Well, I think you’re ‘nothing’ is burnt.” Lance’s grin is nothing short of amused as he nods toward the burnt attempt at cookies on the stove.





	Burning Tenderness

**Author's Note:**

> Keithtober Day 16: Cookies

Look, Keith never claimed to be the best cook. In fact, he wasn’t any sort of cook at all. Cooking, baking, grilling, hell even just boiling water he somehow managed to fuck up. If it concerns making food, he probably shouldn’t be involved in any way.

Didn’t stop him from trying, though.

Keith drops the cookie sheet on the stovetop with a clang of metal and a string of curses. The acrid taste of burnt cookies hangs in the air, just further evidence of his incompetence. 

God, why can’t he just get it right for once? 

But not even the promise of Lance coming home from his first day of work can improve his cooking. Or is this considered baking? 

More like burning. 

Keith slaps a hand on the counter in frustration. “Damn it!” 

He had been so sure he had it right this time. But the flat crispy blackened disks on the cookie sheet say otherwise. They are nothing short of a disaster. Completely inedible.

It’s alright though, it’ll be okay. He still has—Keith glances over at the clock on the microwave—one hour until Lance is due to be home. That should be plenty of time to make another batch, right? Well, attempt to make another. He’s not feeling too confident right now.

Outside their apartment door, there’s the unmistakable sound of keys jangling before an audible click of the door unlocking.

Make that no time at all.

Keith quickly scrambles to hide the proof of his shame, shutting the oven door with a bang before he grabs the cookie sheet.

And immediately drops it back on the stovetop with another string of curses. Only this time, they are accompanied by a searing pain in his fingers and palm. He instinctually cradles the injured hand close to his body. 

Stupid stupid stupid. 

“Keith?” Keith whips his head towards the living room at Lance’s call and the twin thunks of toed off shoes are followed by the soft padding of approaching footsteps. Keith allows himself on more second to revel in his pain before he swiftly schools his features and forces his hands down by his side even as the burning in his right doesn’t let up.

“Wha—” Keith feigns surprise as Lance rounds the corner, shirt wrinkled and untucked and hair rumpled after a long first day at the university. But he looks nothing shy of beautiful with a joyful spark in his eye. Keith doesn’t need to fake the smile. “You’re home!”

Lance raises an intrigued eyebrow as he surveys the chaos that their kitchen has become. “What are you doing?”

Despite the evidence in plain sight all around them, Keith shrugs with a casual, “Nothing.” 

“Well, I think you’re ‘nothing’ is burnt.” Lance’s grin is nothing short of amused as he nods toward the burnt attempt at cookies on the stove.

Shame and embarrassment color Keith’s cheeks and he lets out a drawn-out groan. He leans back against the counter, inadvertently resting his hands against the edge. Pain sears through his hand and Keith inhales sharply through clenched teeth.

In a heartbeat, Lance’s amusement falls from his face and concern pinches at his brow.

He’s by Keith’s side in two quick strides. “What happened?” he asks, lightly taking Keith’s cradled hand in his own.

“Just a small burn,” Keith says with haste, hoping to quell Lance’s concern before it can grow. This was the last thing he wanted. Just a nice surprise of freshly baked cookies to celebrate, that’s it. And instead, here he is, in a mess of his own making inciting panic and worry in Lance when he was already nervous enough about starting his new job. “It’s fine,” Keith tacks on.

Lance peels back Keith’s fingers to expose the tight red skin beneath. “That doesn’t look fine,” he says, wincing in sympathy. Then with gentle touches and soft eyes, he takes Keith by the elbow and begins guiding him out of the kitchen. “Come on.”

Keith hesitates, looking at the mess he left. “But the cookies.”

“Keith, honey,” Lance chuckles, eyes crinkling at the corners. “Thank you but they’re cancerous now.”

Keith just huffs a laugh through his embarrassment and allows himself to be led to the bathroom. Once inside, Lance carefully sticks his hand under the tap and runs cool water over the burn. 

It’s instant soothing relief to the flames that had been licking at his skin. 

After that, Lance makes short work of rubbing on ointments and wrapping the hand in bandages. By the time he’s securing the edge of the bandage to itself, the flames in Keith’s hand have dulled to a mild flicker and the furrow in Lance’s brow has smoothed out.

“Please tell me you didn’t make dinner too?” Lance asks, looking up to meet Keith’s eyes as he delicately traces his fingers in loving caresses. 

Keith snorts. “Absolutely not. I’m sure the apartment wouldn’t still be standing it I did.” Lance chuckles, eyes shining with mirth and fondness as he shakes his head. Keith mirrors his smile and shrugs. “I figured we could order in.”

Lance’s lips are warm and soft when he kisses him, and Keith helplessly melts into him, thoughts of burns and bungled plans lost under the sea of tender affection. 

“That sounds perfect.”

**Author's Note:**

> Check out my Instagram for more Klance and VLD drabbles and short fics: [staymagwrites](https://www.instagram.com/staymagwrites/)


End file.
